GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE : PLANNING DATE : 3RD MARCH 2015 ADDRESS/LOCATION : WINGET BOWLS CLUB, TUFFLEY AVENUE, GL1 5NS APPLICATION NO. & WARD : 14/01484/FUL PODSMEAD EXPIRY DATE : 4TH MARCH 2015 APPLICANT : GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL PROPOSAL : ERECTION OF A SINGLE STOREY BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE THE SERVICING AND STORAGE OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT USED BY THE CITY COUNCIL COUNTRYSIDE UNIT, ERECTION OF 2.1 METRE HIGH BLACK POWDER COATED PALISADE SECURITY FENCING, THE PROVISION OF HARD STANDING AND VEHICULAR CAR PARKING SPACES, AND EXTERNAL ALTERATIONS TO EXISTING GARAGES REPORT BY : EMMA BLACKWOOD NO. OF APPENDICES/ : SITE LOCATION PLAN OBJECTIONS 6 LETTERS OF REPRESENTATION 1.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSAL 1.1 The principal part of the application site is set back some 50 metres from Tuffley Avenue, on the southern side of the highway, and vehicular access to the site is currently obtained via an existing road from Tuffley Avenue, adjacent to no. 110 Tuffley Avenue. The full extent of the western side boundary of the application site lies adjacent to Tuffley Park, and the rear boundary of the application site backs onto the existing bowling green. Dwellings at nos. 110, 112, 114 and 124 Tuffley Avenue back onto the application site towards the northern and eastern sides. 1.2 The Design and Access Statement advises that the site is currently occupied by users of Tuffley Park, City Council contractors maintaining the park, and the various users of the social/bowls club. The applicant has confirmed that the proposed use of the existing garage and the proposed single storey building, for the servicing and storage of plant and equipment to be used by the City Council Countryside Unit, would be in addition to its current use, and therefore the remainder of the site would remain unchanged. 1.3 The Design and Access Statement further states that the use of the proposed facility would only be by the Countryside Unit when they need to pick up and drop off machinery (including trailers, bailers, chippers and other farm equipment) for use on the Robinswood Hill, Alney Island, Hucclecote Hay meadows, and occasionally for maintenance of plant. The principal use of the site would be as a store, and the applicant has confirmed that the vehicles and plant which are used daily would continue to be stored at the Countryside Unit on Robinswood Hill, thereby lessening the number of vehicular movements. The applicant has subsequently confirmed in writing that “Very little servicing would be undertaken on site as this would be done at the ranger centre. It may be the odd tyre replacement but generally very low key”. It is proposed that the rangers would be provided with a bicycle as part of the proposal, to allow them to cycle to and from the facility. 1.4 It is proposed that the hours of operation would generally be from 08:00 to 18:00, although it is proposed that the hours of operation would be extended until 20:00 in the summer months. 1.5 It is proposed to erect a single storey building towards the northern side of the site, which would accommodate the servicing and storage of the City Council’s Countryside Unit’s larger plant and equipment that cannot be stored at the Ranger Centre on Robinswood Hill. The proposed building would measure 18 metres in width along its southern (front) and northern (rear) elevations, and 6 metres in length along its side elevations. Plans were originally received proposing that the rear elevation of this building would sit 0.4 metres from the site boundary shared with the rear garden areas of nos. 110 and 112 Tuffley Avenue. However, amended plans were received by the Local Planning Authority on 4th February 2015, showing this building moved slightly further east, with the rear elevation of the proposed building sitting 0.5 metres from the site boundary shared with the rear garden area of no. 112 Tuffley Avenue only. 1.6 The proposed single storey building would be designed with a north-facing mono-pitch roof, measuring 3.1 metres in height on its rear elevation and 5.2 metres in height on its front elevation. This would have softwood board vertical cladding on all elevations (150mm wide timber and 19mm gap), and corrugated zinc sheeting on the roof which would be coated in a silicone polyester top coat, dark green in colour. 4 no. galvanised roller shutter doors would be installed on the front elevation, and 1 no. pedestrian access door would be installed on the western side elevation. No fenestration is proposed for installation on the flank walls on the rear or eastern side elevation. 1.7 It is further proposed to refurbish an existing building towards the north- eastern corner of the application site, which is 20.3 metres wide along its western (front) and eastern (rear) elevations, and 4.3 metres deep on its side elevations. It is proposed to remove the existing roof on the building, and to replace it with Kingspan insulated roofing or similar, dark green in colour. 2 no. galvanised roller shutter doors would be installed on the front elevation, in addition to a replacement pedestrian access door and window. No new fenestration is proposed for installation on either side elevation or on the rear elevation of the existing building. It is proposed to repaint the building, the same colour as existing 1.8 The application also proposes the erection of 2.1 metre high black powder coated palisade security fencing. The amended plans show that this fencing would run parallel with the part of the northern boundary which is shared with the rear garden areas of no. 112 Tuffley Avenue, but would be set back 7.6 metres from this boundary. The fencing would also run parallel with the part of the eastern side boundary of the application site which is shared with the garden of nos. 116 and 124 Tuffley Avenue, but would be set back 4.2 metres from this boundary. The proposed single storey building and the existing building would be located within this palisade fencing, and 5 sets of double access gates would be provided within the extent of the proposed palisade fencing, providing access to and from these buildings. 1.9 Further, there are plans to replace any displaced parking within the curtilage of the site and to make good the existing surface. This would include the provision of self-binding gravel surface over an existing grassed area towards the western side of the site to allow for additional parking bays. 1.10 This application is presented to the Planning Committee for determination because the applicant is the Council, and letters of objection have been received from neighbouring properties. 2.0 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 2.1 14.11.1995 (reference 95/00546/FUL, Planning permission granted) – Erection of club house to replace existing and provision of additional car parking facilities 2.2 13.05.1997 (reference 97/00117/FUL, Planning permission granted) – Single storey extension to provide function room and toilet facilities and provision of additional car parking 2.3 23.08.2011 (reference 11/00951/ADV, Advertisement consent granted) – Erection of 3 metre high non-illuminated "V" shaped entrance sign 3.0 PLANNING POLICIES 3.1 The statutory development plan for Gloucester remains the 1983 City of Gloucester Local Plan. Regard is also had to the policies contained within the 2002 Revised Deposit Draft Local Plan which was subject to two comprehensive periods of public consultation and adopted by the Council for development control purposes. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published and is also a material consideration. 3.2 For the purposes of making decisions, the NPPF sets out that policies in a Local Plan should not be considered out of date where they were adopted prior to the publication of the NPPF. In these circumstances due weight should be given to relevant policies in existing plans according to their degree of consistency with the NPPF. 3.3 The policies within the 1983 Local Plan and existing County Structure Plan remain the statutory adopted policies for the City and policies within the 2002 Local Plan are a material consideration where they are consistent with the NPPF. 3.4 From the Second Stage Deposit Plan policies B.10 (Trees and Hedgerows on Development Sites), FRP.9 (Light Pollution), FRP.10 (Noise), FRP.11 (Pollution), BE.1 (Scale, Massing and Height), BE.5 (Community Safety), BE.7 (Architectural Design), BE.21 (Safeguarding of Amenity), TR.9 (Parking Standards) and TR.31 (Road Safety) are relevant 3.5 In terms of the emerging local plan, the Council has prepared a Joint Core Strategy with Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Councils which was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 20 November 2014. Policies in the submitted Joint Core Strategy have been prepared in the context of the NPPF and are a material consideration. The weight to be attached to them is limited by the fact that the Plan has not yet been the subject of independent scrutiny and do not have development plan status. In addition to the Joint Core Strategy, the Council is preparing its local City Plan which is taking forward the policy framework contained within the City Council’s Local Development Framework Documents which reached Preferred Options stage in 2006. 3.6 On adoption, the Joint Core Strategy and City Plan will provide a revised planning policy framework for the Council. In the interim period, weight can be attached to relevant policies in the emerging plans according to • The stage of preparation of the emerging plan • The extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies; and • The degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework 3.7 All policies can be viewed at the relevant website address:- Gloucester Local Plan policies – www.gloucester.gov.uk/planning; Gloucestershire Structure Plan policies – www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2112 and Department of Community and Local Government planning policies - www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/.